Christmas shoppers and those attending festive events are being urged by police to remain vigilant to the threat of terrorism.
Following the recent increase in the UK’s terrorism threat level to ‘severe’, police are calling on the public to report anything suspicious to them as the festive season begins.
Detective Superintendent Andy Waldie, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing for the eastern region, said: “We know that after last Christmas, everyone is excited to be able to celebrate properly this year and join in with the festivities.
“However, as recent events in Liverpool and Essex have shown us, the terrorist threat has not gone away. That’s why we are asking you to stay alert this winter, whether attending a Christmas market or shopping in our town centres, and help us by being our eyes and ears.
“If you see or hear something that doesn’t seem right, trust your instincts and act. You will not be wasting our time – any piece of information could be important.”
There are five threat levels:
LOW - an attack is highly unlikely
MODERATE - an attack is possible but not likely
SUBSTANTIAL - an attack is likely
SEVERE - an attack is highly likely
CRITICAL - an attack is highly likely in the near future
In the past year, around 10,000 reports from the public across the UK have been made to counter terrorism officers about suspected terrorist activity.
Around a fifth of those reports provided useful intelligence, which went on to help counter terrorism investigations and help officers stop terrorist activity.
If you see something suspicious, either tell a police officer, report it online via www.gov.uk/ACT or call the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321. In an emergency, call 999.
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